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Social Justice Swept Away

It is right that there has been an extraordinary focus on the coronavirus in 2020 but it is still important to pay attention to social justice. 

Many governments around the world, including Australia, have been using the pandemic as cover to shift focus away from important social justice, humanitarian and environmental work.

One glaring example of something our government has tried to get passed is the cut to the number of refugees we will accept each year just so they can save the budget 1.8 billion dollars. 

This policy does not make any sense considering one of the key indicators for getting the country out of recession is population growth. We should be taking in more refugees not less. 

This decision by the Morrison government is exacerbated by yet more cuts to foreign aid. 

Social justice for refugees is something we must continue to fight for and if you have any doubt about this you should watch the ABC series Stateless. A story inspired by true events that took place in 2004 when Australian citizen Cornelia Rau was kept in detention for up to 10 months. If we do not take action on climate change this could happen to all of us. 

The Morrison government is also using coronavirus to shift focus away from the Coalition’s climate wars. 

This is not the time to forget climate action. 

I recently watched the ABC series Fight for Planet A which has as its central theme ‘we must fight for Planet A because we have no Planet B’. 

After watching Stateless and Fight for Planet A I know it’s more important than ever that social justice is not swept away because next time the refugee could be me. 



The Refugee Could Be Me


Each one of us needs to stop and think, ‘that refugee on the TV could be me’.

An earthquake or a drought riddled dried up lake could displace us and leave a line of refugees in its wake. 

Climate change is a reality that will change life for all of humanity. 

My disability will not save me from being a refugee. 


I often wonder what it will be like should disaster strike. 

I will seek asylum for my family but will the new country reject me on account of my disability?

I have many skills I can bring to bear but what happens if they only see the disability?

Will I be left in detention? The refugee that is best not to mention. 


How much longer will they ignore the climate crisis and the humanitarian sacrifices?

Climate justice is social justice but the government prefers to look away and just arrest us. 

Under the cover of coronavirus, social justice has been swept away but it’s okay because coal is here to stay. 

I look at my disability and the refugee on the TV and wonder ‘what if it was me?’


Chris Van Ingen | 16 November 2020

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